This invention is related to a bumper arrangement and, more particularly, to a bumper arrangement having at least one deformation tube with one flanged end.
In some bumper arrangements for automobiles there are deformation tubes located between a bumper bar extending transverse to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and the vehicle chassis. These tubes have a smooth initial shape and are flanged on one end. During a collision the tubes, in concert with elements that act on their ends, deform and dissipate compressive forces in the axial direction of the tube.
An arrangement of this type is disclosed in German Pat. No. 1,152,558, 63c, 70. In that patent the flanged end of the tube as well as the other end are clamped in elements having different diameters so that in the event of a shock, e.g., a collision involving the vehicle, a progressive overturning or turning inside out of the tube occurs, i.e., the tube flairs out and folds back on itself. The increase in the diameter of the tube connected with the overturning of the tube results in the energy dissipation desired.
In a similar arrangement in accordance with German Pat. No. 1,267,114, 63c, 70, the element adjacent to the flanged end forms a curved ring-shaped bearing surface for the flanged end. Here again, a progressive overturning of the tube with a simultaneous enlargement of its diameter is achieved.